Ann graduated from Technological University of the Philippines with a degree in Electronics Engineering, but found herself assimilated into the wonderful world of software development, particularly software testing:

Ubertester Tells: Interview with Ann from Manila, Philippines

Ann, what was the most exciting project you had in your Ubertesters QA career? What did you like most about it?

Most exciting project (for me) was a “crowdsourced thermostat” mobile application. I found it to be captivating and unique (it’s my first time to see this kind of application). Plus, I like that it encourages energy efficiency and sustainability through better management of building spaces. Anything that is pro-green and pro-earth is my kind of thing.

What is the most horrifying/bizarre bug you ever encountered?

A bug in a laptop’s power-management driver, wherein after hibernate and resume, the laptop’s touchpad no longer works. The clincher? It has very low repro rate, but very high severity.

What is a daily habit that you developed in your life as a result of your profession and found to be really useful? What change did it bring?

I’ve kind of taken the term “keen eye for details” to a whole new (and better) level. For instance, I can now easily spot loopholes/vague words in contracts, utility bills, package instructions which most people tend to overlook. I can easily identify the incorrect “gray” shade among 50 shades of gray (pun intended). Developing that habit actually made me feel more confident and comfortable in my own skin.

What are the main benefits of working with Ubertesters?

Ubertesters keeps my skills as a tester sharp, well-rounded and updated. Plus, I get to test plenty of awesome applications before they are even released to the market (often, not for free!).

What are the characteristics of a bad software tester?

Someone who is not able to find a single bug in software (because that’s just next to impossible). Someone who submits invalid or hard to reproduce bugs. And someone who submits a bug report with incomplete/missing/vague details.

What does your ideal work place look like?

My ideal work place would be pink, and flowery, and all things girly and nice. Oh, did I mention it should be pink?

What advice would you like to give to testers who are just starting their career in Ubertesters?

Three things: #1: Always do testing with “Quality” in mind. You can always find any number of bugs, but reporting the right and meaningful ones is what separates good testers from excellent testers. #2: Excellent testers never succumb to bugs (or developers)! Find the correct repro steps, get that bug fixed and make this world a better place. #3: Love your work and you will never work a single day in your life.

Have your own story to tell? Drop a note to your manager at Ubertesters right away!